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Posted with the caption “left in lieu of a tip,” author Michael Kindt put the following photo on his Tumblr wall:

Courtesy BuzzFeed

“As a direct result of Proposition 30,” the card reads, referring to California’s latest sales and income tax increase, “and President Obama’s insistence that I pay ‘MY FAIR SHARE IN TAXES,’ I find that I must cut back on discretionary spending and gratuities.”

“I wish it didn’t have to be this way for both of us,” the card concludes.

Kindt was unimpressed with the card: “Gotta love those Republicans, huh?”

Two points should be made.

First, because it’s unclear when and where the photo was taken, there’s no guaranteeing it’s not a hoax.

Second, if it is indeed a hoax, this wouldn’t be the first time that someone tried to gin up anti-conservative sentiment with a cock-and-bull story about a lousy tip.

Therefore, until there’s confirmation on the “sorry I can’t tip” card, it’s best to remain skeptical. But if the story turns out to be authentic, it should raise eyebrows.

Kindt did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Final Thought: Real or not, there are two ways to look at this card. It could be argued that until people at all levels — even waitstaff — realize how government policies affect them, they won’t think twice about what’s going on in Washington.

It could also be argued, however, that the money it took to print the card could have been used to tip the restaurant worker — or the person could have left both.